Anna Marie Raven: "Wouldn't Wendara's body give them a helluva clue as to the general direction they should be searching in?" The Wizard's men had found her body after they had checked The Glikkus and Gillikin, and he just wants to have all of Oz checked out already if he doesn't find Elphaba and Liir in The Vinkus (plus he's just going crazy because of that drink). Hope this clears things up :).Everyone who reviewed: THANX SOOOOO MUCH!
(NOTE): Again, excuse my tense usage ;).(And as for Liir's age, forgive me if I get it wrong. I'm not very good at math either :( )
"Mistress!" Elphaba, along with the other women working nearby, looked up at the monkey as he screeched urgently. It was two days after Glinda's first date with Boq (they had dinner alone both nights after that), Kaphion and Inchea had gone back to Kiamo Ko, and Elphaba was just outside of the cavern, washing laundry with some of the other women. The monkey landed on the edge of the large bucket of hot water Elphaba was washing the clothes in. "Men in green near! They coming in Kells right now! Mistress must go inside!" Elphaba heard clothes splashing into the bucket and feet scurrying to get inside the cave.
"Wait!" Elphaba called. The women stopped and looked at her. "We have to get this stuff in first." She picked up her bucket, tossed the clothes to one side, and poured the water out behind a boulder. The other women followed her example as she picked up the clothes and carried them inside, with Chistery flying close behind her."Chistery, you go find the hunting party and tell them what's happening." she said, turning her head towards him. Chistery nodded and flew back out, trying to avoid the women as they rushed back inside with their buckets. It was a relief to get out of the cold, as it was now winter. As they entered the Main Room, Elphaba turned to them. "I want you to get your husbands and children, if you have them, and wait here in the Main Room while I inform Boq and Glinda of the situation. If your husband is out with the hunters then wait for him here." At once, all the women did as they were told. Elphaba rushed into her room, where Glinda and Boq were playing with Liir (Fiyero was with the hunters), and told them what Chistery had said. Boq got a worried look in his eyes and quickly stood up.
"We have to get everyone inside!" he said.
"I already told the women to get their husband's and children and wait in the Main Room." Elphaba said "And I've sent Chistery to get the hunters. I just came here to warn you." Boq sighed with relief.
"Thanks, Elphaba."
"But now what?" asked Glinda, picking Liir up.
"We have to keep everyone in here." Boq said "At least until the Gale Force is gone. I know they're here looking for Elphaba and Liir and once they explore the Kells, they'll just move on. At least that's what I think. Chistery can stand guard, as he's so small they won't notice him, and he can tell us what's happening. What do you think?"
"Sounds good to me." Fiyero said coming in with Chistery. Elphaba looked at the monkey, impressed.
"That was fast." Elphaba said. Fiyero shrugged and kissed her cheek.
"We weren't very far."
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"Please, settle down!" Boq called out, trying to calm the frantic people. He, Glinda, Elphaba (with Liir), and Fiyero (with Chistery) were at the Head table in the Main Room, where everyone had gathered.They quieted down and waited for Boq to speak. "Thank you. My dear, fellow Galindaizers, I'm sure you all know that the Gale Force is indeed close by. So I have decided, that as of now, for your own safety, nobody but myself, Chistery, Lady Glinda, Prince Fiyero, and Miss Elphaba shall be allowed to step foot outside, unless absolutely necessary, until the Force is gone.I know it will be difficult, but I don't want any of you to get hurt, so I ask that you trust me."
"But how will we get food?" someone asked.
"We have enough dried meat and bread for everyone that should last us for few days if we use it wisely. By then, we suspect the Gale Force will be gone."
"And if they're not?" another person asked. Boq didn't quite know what to say to that and he looked back at his friends for help.
"We'll decide that when the time comes, if it should come at all." Fiyero spoke up "But we're pretty sure they'll be gone before we run out."
"But if we do run short," Glinda added "then please feed the children before feeding yourselves." Boq smiled at them gratefully before turning back to the people.
"In the meantime, Chistery will stay hidden outside to keep watch on the Force." Chistery straightened up proudly from Fiyero's shoulder. "Now, are there any other questions?"
"Are they looking for Lady Glinda" a woman asked "or Miss Elphaba and her boy?"
"They're trying to find us" Elphaba said, meaning herself and Liir "but I'm sure they wouldn't object to getting Glinda either. Or any of you, for that matter, if you know where we are." There was a great murmur amongst the crowd. "So, please, stay inside the cave until they leave." The crowd nodded.
"Thank you." Boq said. He then turned to Chistery and and asked him to go ahead and fly outside to keep watch.
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Three days passed, and the Gale Force still kept searching the Lesser Kells. All of them were exausted, freezing, and fed up with searching all across the Vinkus, but they were afraid of what the Wizard would do if they went back to the Emerald City without at least the baby, Prince Hamilton. The Captain told the men to rest after searching the whole morning inside every crevice they could find. He sat down on a large boulder and ordered his second-in-command to get him some water.
"But Boss" he whined as his teethe chattered"we only have water in our canteens! And you've already drunk all of yours!"
"Then give me some of yours then!" the Captain said, snatching the canteen away and taking a large gulp. The second-in-command groaned. "Oh, stop mopin, Fresbin!" said the Captain, handing the canteen back and clutching his large coat closer"You would deny your own dear brother a drink, would you?"
"Nah" Fresbin said "but I just don't get why we're here! Why couldn't we just continued workin for Lady Rheysilva, Bongar?"
"Because she turned into a damn peacock!"
"Peacock." Fresbin corrected.
"Whatever! And no self respectin slaver would ever work for an Animal."
"She was still rich, though. And she still had power. Besides, we coulda stayed slavers. Why are we now workin as Gale Forcers?"
"Because I swore that I would find and capture the Wicked Witch of the West and bring her to our Wonderful Wizard of Oz." he leaned closer to Fresbin's ear "But do you know how much cash we could make offa her? The Wizard isn't the only one who wants her, you know. She's pretty damn valuable throughout all of Oz. A lota people in Oz would pay anything to have her."
"For what?" Bongar shrugged.
"I don't know. Some because they want to kill her, some because they want to enslave her, one even wanted to take her powers."
"Oh," said Fresbin "so you want to find her and then sell her off to the highest bidder?" Bongar nodded "But we promised to bring her to the Wizard! Not the highest bidder!"
"I promised. You just decided to tag along. So if I should find her and she just happens to disappear one day and end up at a house in the Upper Slums owned by a guy who is coincidentally my brother..." Fresbin nodded as he understood.
"But what if we find the baby, or the Lady Glinda, or even the Wildman, that Winkie Prince?" Bongar thought for a moment.
"I think the Lady Ginda will catch a good price as well, and since the Wizard doesn't want her as much as the Witch or Prince Hamilton, I think that she'd count as fair game. The baby and Wildman can go to the Wizard. No wait! Maybe we'll just sell the Wildman back to Lady Rheysilva if she's willing to offer more...yeah. I think we'll just play the Wizard against Rheysilva and see how high the bidding gets! It all depends on who wants him more." Bongar then stood up and called out to his men "Alright Men! You've had your breather! Now it's time to keep looking! And remember, if you find the Witch or Prince Hamilton, bring them to me at once!" As the Gale Forcers continued on, they didn't notice a pair of small yellow eyes watching them.
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"Come on, Baby Liir! You can say it!" Glinda said "Say' Auntie Glinda'! Come on, Baby!"
"You'd have better luck teaching him 'Mama' or 'Dada'" Elphaba said coming in "instead of 'Auntie Glinda', you know."
"Nonsense!" Glinda said "He's almost nine months old, and I could say 'popular' by the time I was nine months! It was my first word." Elphaba laughed at this. "It's true!"
"I know. I believe you." Glinda narrowed her eyes at her, thinking she was being sarcastic, but she just shrugged it off and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "What was your first word, Elphie?"
"Horrors." Elphaba said softly.
"Horrors? Why in Oz was it 'horrors'?" Elphaba shrugged. "Well I'm going to make sure that my godson's first word isn't 'horrors'." she turned back to Liir. "Isn't that right, my little sweetie?" Liir laughed as his godmother tickled his tummy. Elphaba grinned at her son and best friend sitting together on the floor of her room. She heard a sigh as Boq walked in.
"Well, it's been three days and the Force is still searching through the Kells."
"How is the food holding up?" Elphaba asked.
"There's enough for a couple more days. The parents are making sure that most of their food rations go to their kids and that's good, but I must say that I have heard a lot of tummies still groaning."
"Like mine." Glinda said "I can't wait for tonight."
"Having dinner alone again tonight?" Elphaba asked, knowing the answer. Glinda nodded and Boq blushed.
"Well, I'll see you tonight Glinda." Boq said as he turned to go out.
"See you then, my dear Boq!"
"Bahk." Everyone, including Boq, turned to look at Liir. "Bahk." he said again as he seemed to smile at his accomplishment.
"Oh, Boq!" Glinda squealed "Boq, did you hear that? You're his first word! Oh, Elphie, Liir said his first word!" Elphaba smiled. She doubted that Liir really meant to say 'Boq' and knew that he was just making noises, but she decided that it didn't really matter. She just chuckled as Glinda encouraged Liir to say 'Boq'.
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"Don't you just feel so honored, Boq?" Glinda asked as she walked into Boq's room that night to have dinner. She threw the shawl she was wearing down on his bed. "I've been trying to get him to say 'Auntie Glinda' for days and..."
"Glinda?" Boq said "I'm sorry to interrupt, but...I-I have to ask you something."
"What?"
He walked over to her and held her hand and his. "Glinda, do you love me?" Glinda stayed silent for a while. "I-I mean, really love me. Not just because of my looks." Do I? she thought Do I really love him or his looks? She closed her eyes and imagined what he had looked like back at Shiz. She opened her eyes and continued to imagine his old appearance as she looked at him. Her heart sank as she didn't feel the strong attraction she felt when she saw him as handsome.
"Boq," she said, still trying to concentrate "kiss me." Putting on a slightly confused look, Boq leaned in and kissed her. As his lips touched hers, all the memories of what he had done for her and her friends came rushing back and she closed her eyes and deepened the kiss. She knew that she know longer cared about his looks, and she also realized how precious Boq was to her.
"Yes, Boq." she whispered, as their lips parted. She looked deeply into his eyes." I love you with all my heart. This feeling I have for you is nothing like I've ever felt. Not even with Fiyero, with him it was just his looks and his stature. But I truly, deeply, and definitely, love you." This made Boq smile, and he leaned in to give her another kiss. Glinda moaned slightly and pulled him closer, gripping tightly onto his shirt.
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"You did WHAT?" Elphaba exclaimed the next morning as Glinda told her what had happened the previous night. Glinda nodded.
"I know. I can't quite believe it either. I can't believe we actually made love!" Elphaba raised her eyebrow at Glinda's choice of words. "What?"
"Nothing," she sat down next to Glinda on her bed "never mind. I'm just a little worried Glinda. Boq did have a very good question. Did you really just...make love because you actually love him or just because of his looks?" Glinda sighed.
"Elphie, after he had asked me that, I did my best to imagine how he had looked back at Shiz and told him to kiss me. When he did...it just felt like it didn't matter what he looked like, as long as he was there. I'm sure that I love him more then his looks."
"Uh huh. So you wouldn't mind if he was ugly?" Glinda shook her head. "Oh, well," she slide off Glinda's bed and inched her way towards the door "in that case, maybe I should just say a little spell to make him..."
"Elphie!" Glinda ran in front of her and blocked the doorway with her body "Don't you dare! I wouldn't mind if he was ugly, but I also don't mind him being handsome. Would you want Fiyero to be ugly?" Elphaba looked as if she was thinking.
"I don't think I would care that much. But then again, before I had met him, I had already convinced myself that a girl with...my condition could never even hope to have an attractive friend, much less husband."
"But you do. You have a handsome husband, a beautiful best friend," Glinda dramatically tossed her hair over her shoulder "and a gorgeous baby. So, why should you get a good-looking family and not me?" She put on an exaggerated pout. "Please don't make him ugly." Elphaba chuckled.
"I won't. Just...be careful. Okay?" Glinda nodded.
"I will. Promise."